Morgan Shapiro knows first-hand just what an impact a donor can have on the life of a total stranger.  She watched her older sister, Courtney, go through the process of donating her stem cells for a patient in need, and was present a year later when her sister’s journey came full circle as she met her recipient face-to-face.  In Morgan’s words, “It really hit me when my family met her recipient’s family.  I saw his son who is the same age as Courtney and realized that the most profound thing that she gave him is the gift of time to be with his family.”

And so, with her resolve to make a difference that much stronger, Morgan moved ahead with her plan to coordinate a recruitment drive on the college campus at Kennesaw State University where she is a student and board member of the Pan-Hellenic Association for Greek Life.  She approached all of the sororities on campus and asked them to join her on April 14, 2010, and together they passed out flyers and approached students, faculty and visitors alike to come out and get swabbed.  The result of their combined efforts is that 500 new donors were tested and entered into the registry.  When asked about what inspires her sister, Courtney remarked, “My sister is a fabulous individual.  Morgan will bend over backwards for anyone.  Her perseverance and motivation is what makes her such a worthwhile addition to the cause for the Gift of Life Bone Marrow registry.”

On the day of the drive, Morgan brought something very personal with her to persuade people as she encountered them.  When Courtney had undergone collection of her stem cells, Morgan had made her a scrapbook documenting every step of the process for her.  Now she showed this book to potential donors so that they could see first-hand how non-invasive the procedure really is.

For Morgan, understanding that there is not currently a match for everyone who may need a transplant means that there is still a great deal of work to be done.  She realizes that this was not one individual’s endeavor that made the drive a success, but rather the combined effort of the volunteers from the campus Greek community.  She is grateful for the enthusiasm that she felt on the campus all day and is already looking forward to planning another drive.